Tim Walz slams GOP for banning books with 'two male penguins' instead of helping prevent school shootings

WASHINGTON, DC: Democratic running mate Tim Walz took a jibe at Republicans on Saturday, September 7, at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) speech, where he said that the GOP thinks "reading about two male penguins who love each other is somehow going to turn your children gay."

Walz headlined the dinner for the HRC, a major LGBTQ+ advocacy group, in Washington, DC, as he praised Vice President Kamala Harris' record of defending LGBTQ+ rights, per Newsweek.

Tim Walz unleashes 'two male penguins' attack at Republicans

In a viral video on social media platform X, Walz said, "This is what these folks are focusing on, spending their time on, like reading about two male penguins who love each other is somehow going to turn your children gay."

He added, "Here's what I tell you, it's a fact of life, some people are gay. But you know what's not a fact of life? That our children need to be shot dead in schools. That's not a fact of life."

He further said, "Folks are banning books, but they're okay with weapons of war being in our schools. Look, that's not this country...we are going to make sure our children are seen, they bring their authentic selves and then we are going to make sure they're safe when they get there."

Walz made the comments after a school shooting in Georgia on Wednesday, September 4, that left four dead and injured at least nine others.

Notably, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) identified the suspect as the 14-year-old student Colt Gray. They also confirmed four casualties, including two students and two teachers, and nine hospitalized after the mass shooting, per the news outlet.

Tim Walz says he voted to support gay rights as congressman from swing district

During his speech, Walz discussed how he voted to support gay rights as a congressman from a swing district. He also talked about how he voted to repeal 'Don't Ask Don't Tell', which banned US servicemembers from serving openly in the military, per The Independent.

He mentioned when he voted for a hate crime prevention law with the help of Matthew Shepard's mother, a young gay man who was tortured and killed in Wyoming in 1998.

Walz said, "I remember walking with a mother who lost her son and hearing the sheriff tell me the only place that wasn’t bloody was where the tears ran down Matthew’s eyes."

Walz also talked about his record as a governor who banned conversion therapy and backed a "trans refuge bill" that allowed people to receive gender-affirming care without the threat of subpoena or extradition from other states that have banned it, according to the media outlet.

Internet shows support after Walz's 'two male penguins' attack at Republican rivals

People on the internet sided support with Tim Walz after his speech where he said that the GOP thinks "reading about two male penguins who love each other is somehow going to turn your children gay."

A user wrote on X, "You can stack five JD Vances on top of each other and they still wouldn't stack up to the man that Walz is", while one added, "This is how it’s done! Keep calling out all their f****d up hypocrisy and false equivalencies."

A person also stated, "Tim Walz get it. We need a law that bans assault weapons. Enough is enough" whereas one mentioned, "Trump only wishes a penguin could love him."

A user also wrote, "Coach Walz is spot on!!", while one commented, "When I was a kid we didn’t read stories about two male penguins, and we didn’t have school shootings. Just sayin."

A person also said, "@Tim_Walz has impeccable comic timing. He'd be a great SNL host !"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.